The first rays of dawn barely touched the cracked rooftops of the Ratan Clan's poorest branch, yet the air was thick with tension. Birds dared not sing. Even the wind seemed hesitant to move, as though it sensed the malevolent presence lurking in the nearby forest.
Inside the hut, Ratan's mother cradled him protectively, unaware that danger was closer than she imagined. Her heart pounded as if warning her of some unseen calamity.
Outside, the figure in black crouched among the shadows, every movement deliberate, silent, yet lethal. He was no ordinary thief or marauder. His aura was cold, sharp, and suffused with malicious intent—a cultivator who had long honed his skills in darkness. The dagger in his hand was not a simple blade; it seemed to devour light itself, absorbing the faint glow of the early morning.
*"So this is the child,"* the shadow muttered, his voice as soft as a whisper, yet carrying the weight of death. *"The one born under a starless night. They say he carries the Seven Gates… I will test if he is worthy of life."*
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### **The First Strike**
Before anyone could react, the shadow leapt forward. The dagger sliced through the air with supernatural speed. The mother screamed, but her voice was swallowed by the forest's silence.
Yet something strange happened. The infant stirred, his tiny body glowing faintly as an invisible force emanated from him. The **Root Chakra**, awakened in the dream-world, flared to life.
The shadow's dagger froze mid-air, as if caught in an invisible net. A pulse, subtle but immense, radiated from the child. The floorboards beneath the hut trembled. Even the wind seemed to bend around the newborn.
The intruder's eyes widened. "Impossible… a newborn? No mortal should have such power!"
But the child's consciousness, though faint, perceived a flicker of danger. His instinct—a primal, almost animal-like intuition—awakened. The Root Chakra's power surged through him, fortifying his tiny body as if it had been forged in stone.
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### **The First Clash**
The shadow tried to push forward, but the force emanating from Ratan's body threw him back several meters. The hut shook violently, wooden beams splintering. The mother screamed again, clutching the child tightly, unaware that her son was already protecting them.
The shadow's dagger glinted with a deadly aura. "No… a newborn cannot possess such an aura!" he hissed, but his voice was cut short as the chakra force expanded outward.
The Root Chakra's energy was not yet conscious, yet its defensive instinct was enough to repel even a trained cultivator. Small rocks and debris from the forest floor were lifted by the invisible current and hurled back at the intruder.
He staggered. For the first time in his life, he felt fear.
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### **A Glimpse of True Potential**
The infant's eyes, black and seemingly empty, briefly flickered with a strange light. The shadow felt as though countless mountains bore down on him. He realized, too late, that he had underestimated this child.
But even as he recoiled, a cold, malevolent laugh echoed from the trees. Behind him, more figures emerged—silent, shadowy cultivators, disciples of a sect that had long coveted the Ratan Clan's secrets.
The mother's scream turned to a shriek of terror as dozens of shadows surrounded the hut. The intruder regained his composure, dagger raised once again.
"This is only the beginning," he said. "Child of the starless night… today, you will die, and your power will be mine."
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### **Cliffhanger Ending:**
The infant, sensing danger but unable to fully comprehend it, trembled—but a faint pulse radiated from his chest. The **Root Chakra's aura flared**, illuminating the hut in a protective golden light.
The shadows hesitated, the air thick with tension. Something about the child was… unnatural.
*Would this newborn survive against an army of trained cultivators? How far can the first chakra defend him against true danger?*
The next chapter promises the **Root Chakra's first conscious activation**, a **fight that will shake the village**, and hints of **the destiny that even the shadowy sect fears to confront**.
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